In the rolling Sandhills between Aiken and Augusta, a remarkable piece of golf architecture history is taking shape. The 21 Club is nearing completion of what it calls the MacKenzie Course, a faithful interpretation of Alister MacKenzie's lost design for El Boquerón, a course that was never built in its intended home of Argentina.
The story reads like a design-world fable. MacKenzie created the El Boquerón layout for a wealthy Argentine family in the 1920s, but the project remained only on paper when the Great Depression struck. The original drawings vanished for decades before eventually being recovered, offering a glimpse into what might have been one of MacKenzie's masterpieces.
Driving this ambitious project is Wes Farrell, a successful attorney whose father was the celebrated songwriter behind hits like "Hang On Sloopy" and "Come a Little Bit Closer." Farrell has assembled a team to bring MacKenzie's vision to life in an unexpected location, creating a tribute to the architect's most famous work, Augusta National Golf Club.
"Unlike the Lido, the MacKenzie Course, as it is called, is not meant to be a clone," according to the project description. "It is an interpretation: faithful to El Boquerón's routing and spirit, but adapted to its surroundings."
The course offers flexibility in length, providing both Golden Age yardage and modern championship distance options. Architect Brian Zager, who contributed to Wisconsin's Lido project, has used computer modeling to adapt MacKenzie's original concepts to the South Carolina terrain.
The 21 Club's location puts it squarely in one of golf's most fertile regions. The area around Aiken has emerged as a premier golf destination, with the club sitting just miles from Augusta National. The timing couldn't be more appropriate, as the golf world's attention turns to Augusta for the Masters Tournament.
Farrell's vision extends beyond the MacKenzie tribute. Plans include a second course called the Hammer, designed by King Collins Dormer as a match-play concept. This dual-course approach reflects the ambitious scope of the 21 Club project.
The rolling terrain of the Sandhills provides an ideal canvas for MacKenzie's revived design. The landscape echoes many of the natural features that made the architect's work so distinctive, from Augusta National to Cypress Point.
This week, the 21 Club is hosting preview rounds for members and guests, offering the first glimpses of how MacKenzie's lost vision translates to modern golf. The timing aligns perfectly with Masters week, when appreciation for MacKenzie's architectural genius reaches its annual peak.
The MacKenzie Course represents more than just another high-end golf facility. It serves as a living museum piece, preserving and interpreting one of golf architecture's great what-ifs. Nearly a century after MacKenzie first sketched his ideas for El Boquerón, golfers will finally have the opportunity to experience his vision.
The project highlights the enduring influence of MacKenzie's work and the growing trend of recreating lost golf courses. As the Aiken area continues to establish itself as a golf destination, the 21 Club's MacKenzie tribute adds another layer of historical significance to the region's growing reputation.
For golf architecture enthusiasts, the completion of the MacKenzie Course offers a rare opportunity to experience a previously lost piece of design history, brought to life in the shadows of Augusta National itself.